• Lena’s Shoes Are Nervous

    by Keith Calabrese, illustrated by Juana Medina

    40 pages, 4-8 years; published 2018 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

    Most kids get nervous on the first day of school, but not many have nervous shoes. Keith Calabrese offers a unique perspective on this common problem in Lena’s Shoes are Nervous. Lena can’t get dressed for kindergarten because her shoes refuse to go. Her father suggests asking another item of clothing to talk to them. This charming story is a great example of encouraging children to work out their feelings in their own way. It’s sure to bring a smile to anyone starting their first day of school.

  • “I kept always two books in my pocket, one to read, one to write in.”

    — Robert Louis Stevenson

  • Caspian Finds A Friend

    Caspian Finds a Friend book coverby Jacqueline Véissid, illustrated by Merrilees Brown

    32 pages, 3-5 years; published 2019 by Chronicle Books

    Caspian Finds a Friend contains a wonderful story, but the pictures add even more depth to it. There is both a delicate and bold quality to Marilees Brown’s illustrations, and this style mimics the story itself. A lonely boy living in a lighthouse ends up befriending a polar bear. What a fantastical story; what magical illustrations! This book will pleasure both the ears and the eyes.

  • “It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”

    — Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

  • Alma and How She Got Her Name

    written & illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal

    32 pages, 4-8 years; published 2018 by Candlewick Press

    Author/illustrator Juana Martinez-Neal has a tremendous gift for illustrating whimsical characters in enchanting settings. In Alma and How She Got her Name, she adds simple and engaging story-telling to create a book as beautiful as it is unique. One can understand Alma’s initial complaint about her very long name: Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela. Her father’s story regarding it’s creation will come to delight both Alma and the reader.

  • “How can I know what I think until I see what I say?”

    — E. M. Forster

  • The Remember Balloons

    by Jessie Oliveros, illustrated by Dana Wulfekotte

    48 pages, 5-9 years; published 2018 by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers

    When a picture book makes you cry, it’s a keeper. Consequently, I own a copy of The Remember Balloons. I first learned about this book when hearing it received a Golden Kite award for the story. The concept of balloons as a metaphor for personal memories was very intriguing. Oliveros says her grandfather’s dementia served as inspiration. I’ll let the book tell the rest, because it does so with such a unique and authentic voice. One that any child will enjoy hearing, especially those with aging family members. 

  • “The only thing that you absolutely have to know, is the location of the library.”

    — Albert Einstein

  • I Am a Thief!

    I Am a Thief!

    by Abigail Rayner, illustrated by Molly Ruttan

    32 pages, 4-8 years; published 2019 by NorthSouth Books

    Every child struggles with controlling impulses. It’s the cornerstone of the maturation process. Kids often do things without knowing why. In Abigail Rayner’s book, I Am a Thief!, Eliza Jane Murphy steals something from her classroom that’s just too irresistible to pass up. She immediately feels terrible. Herein lies the beauty of this story. It doesn’t dwell on the fact that Eliza did something wrong. It focuses on the mixed emotions impulsive acts create. The illustrations by Molly Ruttan play a great role in showing this duality. Readers will learn that doing the right thing takes courage. Everyone makes mistakes. It’s what you do afterwards that counts.

  • “Sometimes, I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”

    — Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

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